Table



Oct M 193. E. OPPENHEIMER TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1937INVENTOR a v aenfi aim) ORNEY Oct. 11, 1938.

E. OPPENHEIMER TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1957 INVENTOR JZSwfl spenfiemer H M m TORNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1938 TABLE ElsaOppenheimer, New York, N;'Y.

Application June'26;

1 Claim.

This invention'relates to tables of the so-called convertible type and"has. for. its object the provision of a table, which; by reason of' itsconstruction, is capable of severaliuses.

Primarily, the invention contemplates atable having atop comp'osed ofseveral leaf elements hinged; or otherwise-movably connected togetherwhereby-thetopof the-'tablemay be reduced in size or, when adapted for adifferent function, may be oi -increased size. A'further object of theinvention is to provide means for raising and lowering the-top,accordingto the'usesto which the table is tobe put.-

The table to which this invention primarily I8 relates ;is-one which isadapted for use either as a so-called' coffee table*wherein thesame isof relatively small size and 'lowheight, or as a so-called' bridge table'pr a dining table wherein the top needbe of substantial area and 20 ofaconvenie'nt height. from the floor; g

The invention-therefore contemplates the pro vision of a top composedofseveral hinged-or movably connected leaf elements anda meanswhereby-said top may -beraised or lowered to suit the severalrequirements;

Another object of the invention is to provide such a table whereintheoperative means by which the table is converted from one type to anotherdoes not in any way detract from the i0 appearance of the table as ahandsome article of furniture, said table, in either of its operativepositions, presenting the appearance of a piece of furniturespecifically designed and constructed to fill that particular functionrather :5 than a table of the recognized convertible type.

These objects are attained by the provision of unobtrusive, relativelysimple means for converting the table, without the provision of setscrews or other mechanical projecting elements of the ,0 kind common inconvertible articles of furniture of the same general character.

In the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention isshown, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a table made in accordance ,5 with thisinvention, showing the table in its folded position and ready for use asa coffee table; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same table with the topopened and elevated, permitting the table to be used as a bridge tableor the 0 like; Fig. 3 is a front view of the table in folded conditionand with the top in its lowered position, and with parts broken away todisclose construction; Fig. 4 is a view of the table with the top openedout flat, and with the table in 5 its raised or elevated position; Fig.5 is a view 1937,. Serial No. 150,477

of the underside of the tableshowing the'means which enables thesupportingmemberor pedestal to be centrally positioned both While thetable is'opened and while in folded position; and Fig. '6 is a sectionalview through thetop portion ofthe table showing the manner in whichpositioning of the supportingleg or-pedestal' may be had.

The top of the table may be made of any desired ornamental outline, andas shown, it comprises the two leaf portions "I and 8 which are-hingedor otherwise movably connected together at 9 to permit the top portion 8to be folded to overlie the portion I, to thereby reduce theeifectivesize of the tabletop, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The hinges '9employed for movably uniting the two top leaves! and 8 may becountersunkor of the invisible type so that when the table leaves-7 and8 are folded out flat, the entire" upper surface of the table top in itsopened position "will be flat and smooth;

The supportingmem'ber or pedestal for the table -isshown 'at lfi -andit' is provided with the supportingfeet I.l', said pedestal and feetportion being of any suitable ornamental form known to the table orfurniture art. The pedestal I0'is1:holloW-orprovided with averticallydisposed passage I2 in which a dependent post I3 is adapted tobe moved or telescoped. Said post I3 has its upper end provided with ahead 25 secured to a plate or slide I4 having its longitudinal edgesrabbeted at I5, said rabbeted edges being slidably guided by spacedguide strips I6 screwed or otherwise secured to the under side of thetable top leaf I. To limit the movement of the slide I4 in onedirection, or away from the guides. I6, a stop I! in the form of aprojecting strip is secured to the under face of the table top portion 1as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. To limit movement of the slide in a directionaway from the stop member I1, the rabbeted edges I5 of said slideterminate near one end of the slide to provide the shoulders I8 which,when the slide is moved toward the right as indicated in Fig. 5, abutagainst the ends of the guides I6 and limit the movement of the slide I4toward the right,

When the table is in its folded position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, oris being used as a coffee table, the supporting post I3 and,co-opcrating pedestal II] are centrally located with respect to the topleaf portion 1 of the table as shown in Fig. 5. At this time slide I4 isso located that its end I9 is abutting against the stop member I1.

When the table top is opened out flat or in the position shown in Figs.2, 4 and 6, it is then desirable to locate the supporting pedestal in acentral position with respect to such opened top. This is done by eithersliding the'open top as a whole across the supporting pedestal, or byshifting the pedestal with respect to the open top so that the pedestalassumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, or in other words,is located centrally with respect to the opened top of the table. Aspreviously explained, the stop portions l8 act to limit the movement ofthe slide 14 with respect to the guide l6 and incidentally servetoproperly centrally position the pedestal.

When the table is opened out, its increased size permits it to act as abridge table or the like, and it is then desirable to position the topof the table such a height from the floor to enable the table to be soconveniently used. This is done by elevating the post l3 or drawing itout of the pedestal l to a raised position. To hold the post l3 in suchelevated position, a catch member 20 is provided, said catch memberbeing located in a recess 25 in the post and being spring pressed bymeans of a spring 2| mounted within the post l3. When the post I3 is inits raised position, the lower end of catch member 20 acts as'asupporting shoulder which engages on top of the end of pedestal I0. Tolimit the telescoping movement of post l3 within pedestal I0, a stopmeans is provided, comprising an elongated groove 22 formed in the postl3 which engages with an inwardly engaging pin 23 in the pedestal NJ asshown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 3 the table is shown in its lowered position and with the topfolded, so that the table there shown is suitable for use as a servingor coffee table. To use the table for other purposes such as, forexample, a bridge table or a dining table, the top is raised until thecatch member 20 snaps outwardly into position over the top of thepedestal as indicated in Fig. 4:. Then the top of the table is openedout by swinging the leaf 8 upwardly on its hinges 9 until it assumes theposition shown in Fig. 2 whereupon the entire top is slid to the left asviewed in Fig. 2 to cause he pedestal to reach the central positionthere shown. The co-operating parts of the table are so designed andpositioned that they are rendered unobtrusive, so that the appearance ofthe table as an artistic, authentic piece of furniture is not detractedfrom.

It will be understood thatthe table may be made in various forms andstyles to suit different requirements, without departing from the spiritof the invention. Similarly, the operating mechanism or means foradjusting the height of the table may also be modified to suit variousrequirements.

What I claim is:

In table structures adapted for varied service conditions, wherein atable top and a pedestal are operatively connected to permit use of thetable top in either of two dimensions, one of which is a multiple of theother and with the pedestal centrally disposed relative to the top ineither position, said top being in two sections hingedly connected to befoldable midway of one length of the top to provide multiplied topformation in the smaller dimension, one of said sections havingunderlying guides extending to the hinging line, said pedestal carryingan element adapted to be slidably mounted within the guides, saidpedestal being located relative to the length of the element such thatwhen one end of the element is located substantially flush with thefolding line of the top, the pedestal will be central of the folded topand'when the top has been opened and the top and pedestal relativelyshifted to place the pedestal beneath the folding line such end of thepedestal willunderlie and support the open top section, the opposite endof the element being of less length and adapted to cooperate with anunderlying stop on the lower section to limit the relative shiftingmovement of the top and pedestal to a point where the pedestal iscentral of the folded top, and abutment shoulders at opposite sides ofsaidelement cooperating with adjacent ends of said guides for limitingsliding movement of said element relative to the table top sections forcentering the pedestal relative to the table top sections when thelatter are in their opened positions.

ELSA OPPENHEIMER.

